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Many thanks jaguarondi for identifying my spider. I looked at the photos on your link and it certainly does look like Neriene clathrata according to this link.

I have lots of spiders in the house, but have not seen this kind before.

I assumed that the white patches on the abdomen were highlights caused by reflections from my camera flash, but having now seen on various websites that Nereine clathrata often has white markings on its abdomen, I am now not so sure. Unfortunately the spider has since moved on, so I can't check this.

Some further information re my small red-legged spider. A second spider landed on the kitchen table a few days ago, and I managed to get clearer pictures of it. The new photos clearly show white markings along the edges of the abdomen. Does this confirm the spider as Nereine clathrata/

No, your latest spider is a Philodromus, P. dispar I think. They're fairly common at this time of year - I saw one in my house a few days ago. It's not the same species as your first spider - different body shape.

Many thanks jaguarondi. I see now that the front bit is round and the abdomen long and thin. I missed it because although I provide board and lodging for a lot of spiders, I know almost nothing about them.

Now that I'm looking more carefully, it seems from my photo that the legs are more hairy than Neriene, and the last segment of the legs not so pointed. It looks as if the white edges of the abdomen extend underneath the abdomen of Philodromus, so that seen from below it might appear white. Is this the case in fact?

Do you know where Philodromus usually lives? I have a lot of conifers and brambles, and old leaves and twigs around the house. Would the spider have come in from there or does this spider generally live indoors?

Hi Mary, I don't think of the Philodromus species as having hairy legs - are you sure that's not because the photo is a bit fuzzy. But yes, the shape of the cephalothorax (the front body segment) is much rounder than in Neriene for example. I don't have a specimen preserved so I don't know about them looking white underneath but from yourn photos and this one I'd say you're probably right -

Hi jaguarondi, Many thanks for your reply, and for your very helpful info. I do think it has hairy legs however! I've enlarged my photo a bit more and put arrows onto it showing where I think there are distinct hairs. In addition to this I have found a photo of a Philodromus dispar taken by Stephen Plant, at srs.britishspiders.org.uk , which shows similar hairs on the spider's legs.

Hi Mary, oh dear you're going to think I'm really pedantic but what you've highlighted are spines. Spiders legs have spines, hairs and trichobothria. Spines are long and are the thickest. Trichobothria can be as long as spines but are much thinner. Hairs are shorter than spines although, in some species, not much shorter. (On money spiders the position and number of spines and trichobothria are useful in identification).

On the second picture of Philodromus dispar here you can see spines and hairs and I accept it is hairy in the sense that it has lots of hairs. However, they're fairly short in comparison to some other spiders.

Many thanks for your most helpful reply. No I do not think you are pedantic! The information you have given is most helpful in explaining what I see in my photograph, and in providing information re spiders in general.